Overfelt is back in the Central Coast Section football playoffs for the first time since 24-year-old coach Joe Cattolico led the Royals to the section's Division II championship in 1998.

It's an exciting time at the school, even though the team's opponent Friday night, St. Francis, comes from the powerful West Catholic Athletic League and just beat one of the area's top teams, Serra, 24-0.

The way Overfelt sees it, this is a game the players could be talking about years from now at their reunions.

"This is a chance of a lifetime," Overfelt coach Ernie Mendoza said. "We have 17 seniors, and every year they wanted to win a league championship and go to CCS. This is their opportunity. They're excited."

Overfelt didn't win the Blossom Valley Athletic League West Valley Division this season, but it reached the Division II playoffs because division champion San Jose declined the CCS berth to play in the traditional Big Bone Game against Lincoln on Thanksgiving Day.

The Royals have won six straight games since losing to San Jose on Sept. 28, but Mendoza knows the level of competition will be much, much higher against St. Francis.

"I know it's not a great matchup, but we'll do the best we can," Mendoza said.

As for the message he wants his players to take onto the field, the coach added, "We just tell them that we're not going to give up and play hard."

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Perhaps the Royals can draw inspiration from the school's '98 team, which behind the young Cattolico -- son of Los Gatos coach Butch Cattolico -- beat Serra in the semifinals and Wilcox in the final to win a title. Cattolico is now the coach at Pleasant Grove in the Sac-Joaquin Section.

Silver Creek also is facing a big test Friday when it travels to Milpitas, the top seed in Division I. The Raiders, seeded eighth, needed to win their last two games just to qualify for the playoffs.

"It'll be tough," Silver Creek coach Chris Bolding said. "Traditionally, I know they're really good. We're just excited to have the chance to participate in the tournament. Our kids have worked hard. We'll see what happens."

Capuchino's Justin Ewing finished the regular season with 2,749 yards rushing, second-most in Central Coast Section history. The senior needs 50 yards Friday night in a Division III playoff game at Seaside to become No. 1 in CCS history for rushing yards in a season. Burlingame's Onan Reyes holds the record, with 2,798 yards in 1997

According to the Cal-Hi Sports record book, Ewing has set a CCS record for carries in a season with 365 and is eighth in state history for regular-season rushing yards.

Terra Nova (6-4) won its fourth consecutive Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division championship and will play top-seeded Bellarmine College Prep (9-1) at San Jose City College in the CCS Open Division playoffs.

It will be a rematch of an opening-round game last season, when Terra Nova made its first appearance in the Open Division and lost to the Bells 56-12.

Terra Nova advanced to the Division III championship game after its first two PAL Bay titles, losing to Seaside in 2009 and beating Monterey in 2010.